legacycentral bbs

My '90 Legacy has a strange coolant leak, plus the left head is leaking oil (not just spillage from the filler). There aren't any signs of leaking coolant other than I have to add coolant to the radiator (it's not drawing from the reservoir) every 1000 miles or so, or else the car will start to overheat. I do 500+ miles a week, so it's rather annoying. I'm suspecting a head gasket is leaking. I'm wondering if there are any tips or tricks to removing the heads, or any mods I should do while I have them off?

Hi, I have basically the exact same problem, please keep me posted on how to fix it.

It does sound like a head gasket issue.

I'd get the coolant checked for hydro-carbons just to make sure.

As for pulling the heads off....hmmm....really haven't done it, so I can't give you much help there. There is room to do it with the engine still in the car, but it may be easier with it out.....I don't know....

Looking at the spark plugs, the driver's side rear plug is a different color from the rest. Considering the nature of the leak, it certainly sounds like the gasket is leaking coolant into that cylinder. I'm sure I can pull the heads with the engine still in the car. Money is tight at the moment, otherwise I'd pull the engine and get the crank balanced and do some other preventive maintenance. Is it worth getting the heads ported and polished, or should I save the time/$ and just change the head gaskets and get the heads decked and valves done?

Rob

Well, it looks like my coolant leak is going to be fixed. Trouble is it involves getting a new motor. Pulled off the crankshaft pulley only to find that the crank has been chewed by the pulley. Not good! Now I'm looking for a new motor.

Rob

First off, that's the key that was eaten by the pulley (we've been having a lot of that around here lately, maybe I should check my torque on mine ). That does not mean your actual crankshaft is damaged, you don't need a new engine because of that...

Where is the coolant leak anyway? Is it the head gasket?

The coolant leak was at the #4 cylinder. No visible signs of leaks externally, other than the loss of fluid and the odd color of the #4 spark plug. The pulley has been loose for awhile I guess, and has chewed up the crankshaft. Rather than split the cases and all that (which my shop won't do, and I don't have time to do personally) it's looking to be cheaper and much faster to go with a new (to me anyways) engine. Wish it didn't come down to that, but the crank is definitely trashed.

Rob

yeah, if it chewed the shaft itself, you're in some trouble. if it had just eaten the key, a new pulley would be 80 bucks and the throw in the key for free usually.

personally, I'd rather get a new motor than go thorugh the head bolt torquing procedure. I'm pretty sure one of the circles of hell includes an assembly line of subaru motors, and you're one of the poor souls that has to go through torquing each bolt down. and the motor is already in the car .

Speaking of heads, are the NA heads the same as the turbo heads except for the cam? If so I could pick up a few spare sets of heads from NA legacies at the pick-apart yard for cheap (30 bucks all you can carry). I could get a set ported and polished for myself and get the other ones done for you guys and sell them off. you'd just have to swap out the cams. are the heads basically identical except for the cams then? maybe differnt valves or valve seats?

-IggDawg